Danger and Deception
by why-is-it-always-spiders
Summary: Callie is scheming, Frank is just trying to do the right thing, Nancy is trying to save her dignity, and Joe just wants everything to go back to normal. Oh, and also there are mysteries to solve.
1. Chapter 1

Callie Shaw scanned the crowd as she sipped at her drink. She suppressed a scowl at the loud music as a new song came on, which became even harder to suppress after seeing her boyfriend grin and continue dancing to it as it came on. They were in a new dance club outside of Bayport, celebrating another successfully solved case of Hardy Investigators. Frank and Joe had been working tirelessly to start up their own branch of their father's detective agency, and had finally done so with the help of one Nancy Drew. This time Callie couldn't help but scowl as the thought of the female detective crossed her mind.

"I hope that look is because your drink is too sour." Callie looked up to see Joe Hardy leaning against the wall, his blue eyes piercing as he scanned her. She quickly arranged her face to hide her displeasure.

"Just thinking of some unpleasant things," she said, smiling at him sweetly.

"You could at least try to pretend you're happy to be here," Joe's gaze was unwavering and steely, making her shift uncomfortably. Her eyes widened in realization.

"You're angry with me," she said quietly, and was hardly surprised by the snort in response.

"No shit." Joe continued to stare at her with a look she could not discern. "Four months ago you cheat on Frank and run away, leaving him utterly devastated and blindsided. After months of trying to piece his life back together, with the help of myself and Nancy, and he _finally_ asks Nancy out. For the first time in a very long time, he's truly happy again. Then, all of a sudden, you drop out of the sky and _God knows how_ convince him to break things off with her and get back with you. And now our entire business is on the verge of being ruined."

"What do you mean, the verge of being ruined?" Callie shot back, no longer trying to hide the disdain in her voice. "Seems to me like the three of you have been very successful so far." She couldn't help the sneer that crossed her face.

Joe took a breath, and she could see him trying to contain his anger. "Nancy is going back to work for my dad," he admitted, looking out at the crowd of dancers sullenly. "She told me this morning."

It was all Callie could do to suppress a grin. "And why on earth would she do that? You all worked so hard on this little project!" She scarcely contained the glee from her voice as she smirked at the exasperated detective.

"Damn it Callie, you know why!" Joe snapped, turning back to face her. "Everything was going _great_. We finally had our own offices, our own clients and cases, our own everything! Frank and Nancy had _finally_ stopped dancing around each other and admitted their love, they were so happy! Everything was working out so well! I still have no idea how you convinced my brother to go back to you. Even before you left him, I could tell he was miserable. When he was with Nancy…I've never seen him like that before. He has never been so happy."

Callie scowled at the mention of Frank and Nancy, but it soon turned to a smirk as she realized that Joe had yet to discover her secret.

"You really haven't figured it out yet, Hardy?" she was no longer trying to contain the venom in her voice. "World famous detective, and you can't even solve a mystery right under your nose?"

Her grin widened as Joe continued to scowl at her, waiting for her to reveal whatever it was she was so amused by.

"I'm pregnant, Joe. And Frank is the father."


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! Sorry for the error last time, here is the fixed format

Joe couldn't stop his jaw from dropping.

"What the hell?" He hissed, grabbing Callie by her elbow and steering her farther from the crowd on the dance floor. "You have got to be kidding me. There is no way you are pregnant with Frank's baby, no way in hell."

Callie arched an eyebrow at the blonde detective in amusement. "Really Joe?" she said cattily, "Do you need me to explain to you how it all works? You see, four month ago Frank and I-"

"Stop." Joe replied sharply, holding up his hand. "I understand the mechanics of it all. What I don't understand is how you could be so sure that its Frank's. Four months ago you really were getting around, if I recall correctly. And I have it on good authority that it could not have been possible four months ago. You and I both know Frank had already caught you cheating and was, for God knows why, trying to give you a second chance...but he promised me you weren't doing...that" Joe gagged, and the sick, twisted feeling in his stomach began to grow.

Callie's smirk widened at his obvious discomfort. "And here I thought you were a world-famous detective. Clearly you don't know as much about your brother as you think you do, _Joseph._ "

Joe's scowl deepened at her saccharine tone. "I still call bull. How soon is a DNA test possible?" Over Callie's shoulder, he could see his brother making his way through the crowd towards them, looking guilty and a little like a kicked puppy.

Callie laughed at Joe's frustration, clearly enjoying the reaction she was eliciting. "Do you really think," she sneered, "that he would drop everything else in his life if he wasn't sure? Frank is not a man to easily make decisions, surely you at least know that."

Before Joe could deliver a scathing remark in response, Frank reached the doorway they were standing in. He looked at Joe cautiously, and Joe noted that his brother would not even look him in the eyes. It was all starting to make sense now, the odd behavior from his brother the last few days.

Callie flashed Frank a dazzling smile, her eyes flashing with something Joe could not quite place. "I was just informing Joe of the wonderful news, he is going to be an uncle!" She slid close to Frank, sliding her hand up his chest. The sick feeling in Joe's gut deepened.

"What?! You said I was, under no circumstances, allowed to tell anyone yet because it would stress you out! Why would you tell him now?" Frank scowled at his girlfriend, trying to extricate himself from her arm but to no avail. He also darted a nervous glance at his brother. Joe kept his face emotionless. He ignored his brother's obvious discomfort and was about to ask why Callie kept looking over his shoulder, but before he got the chance she loudly said

"I suppose I did say that, but I changed my mind. I'm pregnant, am I not allowed to be excited to tell everyone that we're having a baby?"

Joe's foul retort was cut off but the sound of glass shattering directly behind him. He whirled around as liquid splashed his ankles, only to realize with growing horror why Callie had been speaking so loudly.

Nancy Drew stood behind him, her empty hand still held in the air loosely, as if she were still holding the glass that was now on the floor in pieces.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! So sorry for the complications with the last upload. I know it's been slow so far but I promise the story starts picking up! Hopefully I will update soon.**

Later that night, as he thought back to that moment, Joe was more than impressed by Nancy. After a split second of shock, she was able to smoothly mask the pain that flashed in her eyes and school her face into calm passivity. Stepping over the broken glass as if it wasn't even there, she smiled at the couple in front of her. And if she noticed Callie tightening her grip on Frank as she stepped closer, Nancy showed no indication of it.

Joe felt frozen in place as he watched her smile at Callie, completely ignoring Frank and his guilty expression.

"Congratulations," she said gracefully, "I wish you both the best."

She turned abruptly back to Joe. "Would you be able to give me a ride home? My car is still at the shop. I need to finish drawing up the contracts for the Delmonico case tonight."

Joe blinked several times before he answered, feeling like he was still reeling from whatever the hell the last ten minutes had been.

"Uh, yeah, no problem Nance." He had barely finished speaking before Nancy replied.

"I'll grab my purse. I can meet you at your car." She strode away through the throng of people, her posture straight and tense.

Joe gave his brother and the girl hanging off his arm one last look up and down. Frank opened his mouth to speak, but Joe held up his hand.

"I'm gonna go. I'll see you at work tomorrow Frank." He turned and headed toward the exit brusquely, not wanting Nancy to be alone outside in the parking lot.

When he got to his car, Nancy was there waiting. Joe approached cautiously, not wanting to intrude if she needed a moment to compose herself. She was staring off into nothing, standing stock still except for her hands, which were wringing the strap of her purse. Her jaw was clenched and her eyes flashed as she spun around at the sound of Joe approaching. Joe pulled out his keys and unlocked the door, and they both got in the car. Neither one of them said a word as Joe started the ignition and began to back out of the parking spot.

For the first time in his life since he had known Nancy, he had no idea what to say to her. He suddenly felt very awkward in the silence. What does one say, exactly, to their brother's ex-girlfriend who just found out she had been dumped because said brother's other ex was knocked up? He coughed uncomfortably as he pulled out onto the road.

"So...I take it you didn't know?"

Nancy remained silent, staring out the passenger window. Joe waited, knowing she was trying to collect her thoughts. He had known Nancy for a long time, and he knew that when it came to uncomfortable situations she preferred to address them straight on and upfront. After a minute, she took a deep breath.

"I had my suspicions. He wouldn't give me a reason, only that it was really complicated and that he didn't have a choice in the matter. That was really the only reason I could think of that made sense" Nancy said, her voice even and void of emotion.

"I still say it's bullshit. How could it possibly be Frank's? She barely even looked pregnant, there's no way the timeline adds up. I just don't understand how Frank can be so stupid to go along with it." Joe tried but failed to keep the irritation for his brother out of his voice. Nancy sighed and looked down at her hands.

"Do you remember the last time Callie came back to town? A month or so after the breakup?"

Joe snorted. "You mean, do I remember when she came slithering back into Frank's life and tried to manipulate him into moving to New York with her? And how she tried to break up our business? And screamed at me for no reason about how selfish I was for wanting my brother to actually think about his actions? Yeah. I remember."

Nancy looked out the window again and said softly, "Frank didn't tell you the whole story. The night before she left, they...well, you know…"

Joe whipped his head to the side and gawked at her. "They _what?!_ "

"Eyes on the road, Joe" Nancy snapped, gesturing to the stop light that had turned red in front of them. "Obviously I don't have any details, but that was one of the reasons he was so hesitant about us entering into a relationship. He was feeling so guilty about that night and how he had a moment of weakness. We talked through it and he assured me that it was a moment of weakness in the middle of the mess of their breakup. He said even though he regretted it, he did feel like he gained some closure and knew with certainty he wanted her out of his life. Clearly that didn't go as planned." Nancy rolled her eyes.

The rest of the ride to Nancy's apartment was spent in silence, as they both processed the events of the night. Joe was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice the flashing lights of several squad cars until he had already turned into the parking lot.

"What in the world?" Nancy frowned, peering out the window. She barely had time to step out of the care before a very angry, sweaty man who Joe faintly recognized as her landlord barreled towards her.

"Nancy Drew!" he snarled, "This is the last straw! I want you out!"


End file.
